Evolve

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER delivers a balanced 1080p and 1440p experience in Evolve, though 4K Ultra settings push the GPU beyond its comfort zone. This combination ranks 2025th out of 2872 tested combos for this title, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. The measured frame rates show a clear pattern: the RTX 2060 SUPER is the dominant factor at higher resolutions and quality presets, while the Ryzen 5 5500X3D’s 6-core, 12-thread configuration ensures the CPU does not bottleneck at lower settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2025 out of 2872 tested configurations places this pairing in the 30th percentile of all tested combos for Evolve. This is not a top-tier ranking, but it reflects a system built for consistent 60+ FPS at mainstream resolutions rather than extreme high-refresh or 4K gaming. The rank is driven primarily by the GPU’s position in the broader market; the RTX 2060 SUPER sits at the 62nd percentile among all GPUs, while the Ryzen 5 5500X3D achieves an 85th percentile among all CPUs. The CPU is clearly the stronger component in this pairing, but in Evolve, the GPU’s compute and memory bandwidth dictate most of the performance ceiling.

Looking at the CPU’s nearest rivals, the Ryzen 5 5500X3D posts an average benchmark score of 37018, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945, +0.2% delta) and the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (36938, +0.2% delta). It trails the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37093, -0.2%) and Intel Core i9-12900T (37112, -0.3%) by fractions of a percent. These deltas are negligible, meaning the 5500X3D’s performance is effectively on par with a broad set of mid-range and older high-end CPUs. For Evolve, this means CPU-bound scenarios will not differentiate this combo from many alternatives.

The GPU’s nearest rivals show a similar tight grouping. The RTX 2060 SUPER’s average benchmark score of 18093 is within 1.6% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (18159, -0.4%), AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (18189, -0.5%), AMD Radeon RX 460 (18373, -1.5%), and Intel Arc A770M (18383, -1.6%). Given these margins, the measured FPS in Evolve should be representative of a wide range of GPUs in this performance class. The ranking of 2025 suggests that this combo outperforms roughly 30% of all tested systems, which aligns with a mid-range GPU from 2019 paired with a 2025 CPU.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is built on the TU106 chip using TSMC’s 12 nm process, with 10,800 million transistors on a 445 mm² die. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The memory clock is listed as 1750 MHz, with an effective data rate of 14 Gbps. These specifications are directly relevant to Evolve’s performance scaling. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 160 FPS average, but by 4K High, the average drops to 37 FPS. The 8 GB frame buffer is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p at all tested presets, but at 4K Ultra, the combination of memory pressure and compute load reduces performance to 26 FPS average.

The GPU’s boost clock is 1650 MHz, with a base clock of 1470 MHz. These clocks, combined with 2176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs, produce a pixel rate of 105.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 224.4 GTexel/s. The FP32 throughput is 7.181 TFLOPS, which is modest by modern standards but adequate for a 2015 title like Evolve. The GPU also includes 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores, though these are unlikely to impact Evolve given its release date and lack of ray tracing support.

The 175 W TDP and 450 W suggested PSU indicate this is a power-hungry card by today’s standards, but for Evolve, the primary limitation is raw throughput. The measured results show that at 1080p Medium, the combo averages 124 FPS, which is a 22.5% drop from Low (160 FPS). At 1080p Ultra, the average falls to 68 FPS, a 57.5% drop from Low. This scaling suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher presets, as the CPU’s 6 cores and 12 threads are unlikely to struggle with a game from 2015. The GPU’s 62nd percentile ranking among all GPUs reinforces that this is a mid-range part, and its performance in Evolve reflects that positioning.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, the Medium preset at 1440p is the sweet spot for this combo. At 2560x1440 Medium, the measured average FPS is 83, with a minimum of 71 and a maximum of 96. This provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while maintaining decent visual fidelity. At 1080p, the Medium preset delivers 124 FPS average (minimum 106, maximum 143), which is ideal for high-refresh monitors. The High preset at 1440p drops to 65 FPS average, which is still playable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes. At 4K, even the Low preset averages only 61 FPS, meaning competitive play at that resolution is not recommended.

The data shows that Ultra settings are only viable at 1080p, where the combo averages 68 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, the average falls to 45 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it drops to 26 FPS. These figures indicate that Ultra is not a practical choice for this pairing beyond 1080p. For users prioritizing frame rate, 1080p Low provides the highest measured average at 160 FPS, but this comes at a significant visual cost. The Medium preset at 1440p offers the best compromise: it is 25% faster than High at the same resolution (83 vs 65 FPS) and only 22% slower than Low (83 vs 107 FPS), while providing noticeably better image quality.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Evolve?*

A: At 4K, the average FPS ranges from 26 (Ultra) to 61 (Low). The Medium preset averages 47 FPS with a minimum of 40 and maximum of 55. For smooth gameplay, only the Low preset approaches 60 FPS, and even that is borderline. 4K is not recommended for this pairing.

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Evolve?*

A: 1440p Medium provides the best balance, with an average of 83 FPS and a minimum of 71 FPS. This ensures consistent frame times without the visual compromises of 1080p Low. 1080p Medium offers higher headroom at 124 FPS average.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500X3D has an average benchmark score of 37018, which is within 0.3% of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, Intel Core Ultra 5 225, AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450, and Intel Core i9-12900T. For Evolve, any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical results.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the bottleneck in this combo?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 160 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 68 FPS. This 57.5% reduction is due to the RTX 2060 SUPER’s compute limits. The CPU’s 85th percentile ranking suggests it has ample headroom.

Q: What are the GPU’s memory specifications?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The memory clock is 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). This is sufficient for all tested settings in Evolve.

Q: Does the combo support modern APIs?

A: The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. However, Evolve was released in 2015 and likely uses earlier DirectX versions, so these newer APIs may not be utilized.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent scaling pattern from 1080p to 4K. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 160 at 1080p to 107 at 1440p (a 33.1% reduction) and then to 61 at 4K (a 43.0% reduction from 1440p). This steep decline indicates that the GPU is heavily taxed by resolution increases, even at the lowest quality preset. At Medium settings, the averages are 124 FPS (1080p), 83 FPS (1440p), and 47 FPS (4K), representing a 33.1% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 43.4% drop from 1440p to 4K. The High preset shows a similar pattern: 97 FPS at 1080p, 65 FPS at 1440p (a 33.0% drop), and 37 FPS at 4K (a 43.1% drop from 1440p).

The consistency of these percentage drops across presets is notable. From 1080p to 1440p, the average reduction is approximately 33%, while from 1440p to 4K, it is approximately 43%. This suggests that the limiting factor is the GPU’s pixel throughput and memory bandwidth, not the CPU or game engine. The RTX 2060 SUPER’s 448.0 GB/s bandwidth and 105.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are insufficient to maintain frame rates as pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K. The CPU’s role in this scaling is minimal; if the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect smaller FPS drops at higher resolutions as the GPU becomes less utilized. Instead, the data shows the opposite, confirming that the GPU is the primary constraint.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture (Vermeer codename) on TSMC’s 7 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz, with a TDP of 105 W. The cache configuration is substantial: 64 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and 96 MB shared L3. This large L3 cache is a hallmark of the X3D series, though for Evolve, a 2015 title, the game is unlikely to fully exploit it. The CPU supports DDR4 memory with dual-channel bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s and ECC memory, and it connects via PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes.

In the benchmark suite, the Ryzen 5 5500X3D scores 20363 in Passmark multithread, 2941 in single-thread, and 2282 in physics. These scores place it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, indicating strong performance for its class. For Evolve, the CPU’s 6 cores and 12 threads are more than sufficient; the game was released in 2015 when quad-core CPUs were the norm. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (160 FPS average) shows that the CPU can feed the GPU well above the 60 FPS threshold. Even at 1080p Ultra, where the GPU is heavily loaded, the CPU maintains a 68 FPS average, suggesting no CPU bottleneck.

The nearest rivals to the 5500X3D are all within 0.3% of its average benchmark score, so any of these CPUs would perform identically in Evolve. The Intel Core i9-12900T, despite being a higher-tier part, scores 37112, just 0.3% higher, and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 scores 37093, 0.2% higher. This tight grouping means that for Evolve, the choice of CPU among these options has no practical impact. The 5500X3D’s 96 MB L3 cache is its distinguishing feature, but the game’s age means it likely does not benefit from the extra cache compared to a standard 32 MB L3 design.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 160 FPS, with no minimum or maximum recorded. Medium settings average 124 FPS, with a minimum of 106 and maximum of 143. High settings average 97 FPS, and Ultra settings average 68 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 57.5% reduction in average FPS, from 160 to 68. The Medium preset’s minimum of 106 FPS ensures that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate stays well above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 107 FPS (Low), 83 FPS (Medium, with minimum 71 and maximum 96), 65 FPS (High), and 45 FPS (Ultra). The Medium preset’s minimum of 71 FPS is notable, as it keeps the experience smooth on standard 60 Hz monitors. The High preset at 65 FPS average is borderline, with potential dips below 60 FPS in heavy combat. Ultra at 45 FPS is not recommended for competitive play. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across presets, averaging around 33%.

At 3840x2160, the performance falls significantly. Low settings average 61 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold but likely to dip in busy scenes. Medium settings average 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 and maximum of 55. High settings average 37 FPS, and Ultra settings average 26 FPS. None of these are ideal for smooth gameplay, though the Low preset could be playable on a 60 Hz display with some frame drops. The 4K results show the GPU’s limits clearly: even at Low settings, the RTX 2060 SUPER cannot maintain a solid 60 FPS, and at Ultra, the frame rate is less than half of the 1080p Ultra figure.

The minimum and maximum FPS data are only recorded for the Medium preset at each resolution. At 1080p, the range is 106 to 143 FPS, a 37 FPS spread. At 1440p, the range is 71 to 96 FPS, a 25 FPS spread. At 4K, the range is 40 to 55 FPS, a 15 FPS spread. This narrowing range at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU becomes the consistent bottleneck, reducing the variance in frame times. At lower resolutions, where the CPU has more influence, the variance is larger, but the overall frame rates are much higher. This pattern reinforces the conclusion that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the limiting component in this combo, with the Ryzen 5 5500X3D providing ample headroom for Evolve at all tested settings.